Corinthians 13
by BuffyAngel68
Summary: Our intrepid little family has a few more obstacles to get past before they can be totally free and happy. Adventure and more than one jaw-dropping surprise coming your way, constant reader. Hang on to your hats and scarves and everything else....
1. Default Chapter

Title: Corinthians Thirteen -- Chapter 1 -- Part 3 of the Connections trilogy

Author: BuffyAngel68

Rating : Mostly PG to PG-13, but Bobby and Darien will at last be consummating their marriage somewhere within this last set of chapters. (Yeah, yeah, amen, yippe-kai-yay and whoomp! there it is. Calm down, will you please? lol.) That will be NC-17 and you'll know well in advance when it's on the horizon.

Summary: Our intrepid little family has a few more obstacles to get past before they can be totally free and happy. Adventure and more than one jaw-dropping surprise coming your way, constant reader. Hang on to your hats and scarves and everything else....

Notes: The muse for this epic is finally out of his coma! Thanks for the encouragement while I sat by his bed and begged him to wake up and give me a hint as to what should happen next. BTW? I think I'm going to be as sorry as you guys when this is over and done, but life beyond the final chapter is not outside the realm of possibility. Any of you who feel the need to continue the story line may jump right in and do so with my blessing. Thanks again.... Now let's get moving shall we?

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"Don't give me that innocent little lamb look, Darien. I can tell."

"No you can't."

"Every time you think I'm not looking you start grinning like a lion who just stumbled on a herd of sedated zebra. What have you done?"

"Not what you're thinking. Bobby and me... took another big step."

"Big as in..."

"We... are you actually gonna make me say it?"

All he got in response was a stern expression and raised eyebrows. "Holy... Okay, okay. He was half asleep an' he... touched me. I was about to give him a humungous hell yeah when he woke up all the way and freaked out. Once he calmed down, we talked an' it turned out we were both ready to... move on, but neither one of us had said anything. I got him to lay back down in bed, we got rid of our boxers an' we.... took the next step."

"Masturbation only or was there oral contact?"

"Claire! For God's sake..." Darien exclaimed, staring around him to be sure they really were still alone.

"I'm your doctor, Darien. I need to know these things. I'm only asking from a medical standpoint..."

"Yeah, well could you lower the volume of your standpoint a little, huh? And don't be so casual about it. Every new level we step up to means the damn world to me an' Bobby."

"I know it does, sweetheart. I'm sorry. Now, I don't have to say it do I?"

"We're not stupid, Claire. When it comes that time we'll be... safe, I promise."

"I trust you will, but I still need the reassurance of test results."

"You check me every other week. You know more about my body than my mom did."

"It's not you I'm concerned about."

Darien glared at the beautiful blond and pushed away the stethoscope she was pressing against his chest.

"Don't go there. Don't you dare go there. I trust Bobby."

"Full denial. I was afraid of this. Trust isn't the issue at all. Bobby had several very short-term relationships between his divorce and your ceremony, Darien. There could be something going on that even he doesn't know about yet..."

"No! No way!"

"Damn it, will you please just listen..."

"Forget it!"

A moment later, Bobby stalked into the Keep and into the middle of the argument.

"Check-up's gonna have to wait, partner. We got a problem."

"What?"

"It's Danny. Newbies... we gotta clear his thinkin' before he gets himself in any more trouble than he already is. A couple good slaps upside the head, maybe..."

"What'd he do, for God's sake. There's steam comin' out your nose... Oh damn. He wasn't stupid enough... He wouldn't do that. Not after you told him flat out what the score was."

"He could, would an' did. You comin? Obviously I didn't get through to him on my own."

"Yeah. We'll finish this later, Claire."

"Yes we will."

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"No. I don't wanna hear any more excuses or reasons or anything else. You're gonna sit there, you're gonna keep your lip buttoned and you're gonna pay attention, got it, Masters?"

Neither of his occasional partners had addressed him by his last name in two months. That wasn't his only clue that Bobby was truly furious with him, just the latest. The yelling, accusations and recriminations had come first, most of it not long after Hobbes had caught Danny at Alex's window and dragged him back upstairs.

"You're both too close to the situation. You can't see it or her from an objective viewpoint..."

Darien approached now, looking much less incensed than his husband, and much more worried for Danny's safety.

"I'll admit maybe that's true, but I don't have the luxury of gettin' perspective on Alex. She tried to kill my child and her Godmother and came about five minutes from succeeding. There is no way for me to back off and look at that objectively."

"She was frightened and grieving. You can't hate her for an act she wasn't mentally responsible for. If she'd gone to court she'd have been sent to counseling, not summarily locked up..."

"I don't hate her, not anymore. I'm sorry for what she went through, and I know she's still in pain, but having compassion doesn't make me stupid. I don't want her back out on the street where she can try an' destroy my life again. She's dangerous, Danny."

"I'm trying to tell you, she isn't. When we talk... I just can't find any trace of the woman you describe..."

"She's not that hard to find, Masters. Try lookin' at the TV." Bobby gritted out as he started the security tape from the Keep the day of the abduction. As Danny watched Alex shoot Claire and threaten Bobbi with the same gun, his face grew pale, but his reaction at the end of the tape was not what either of the other two wanted or expected.

"God... poor Alex..."

"Poor Alex?! What tape were you watchin'..."

Danny stood and briefly confronted Bobby face to face before storming out.

" I was watching a grieving mother temporarily losing her mind. If Roberta Claire had been kept away from you for years, genetically altered and then shot to death, would you have sat back and calmly accepted it or lashed out at the people you felt were responsible? I may not know you as well as everyone else in this place, Agent Hobbes, but I just don't believe you could learn what Alex learned then drop on the couch to catch the last quarter of the football game!"

Unfortunately, the phone interrupted the younger man's dramatic exit. Despite his anger and disappointment, he paused just outside the office door and waited to see what the call was about. If the Official wanted to see them, he knew he'd have to temper his roiling emotions quickly in order to maintain his personal standard of professionalism in front of superiors. If not, he planned on jumping into his classic Mustang convertible, taking a drive down the Coast Highway and doing a bit of primal scream therapy.

"Yeah. Okay. Be right there, sir. I understand. Okay. Okay. Five minutes, sir. I know, that means five, not twenty-five. Bye." Hobbes finished, replacing the receiver. "We gotta go. Boss says it's a 91."

"A 91?' Danny asked skeptically.

"Yeah," Darien replied. "That's somewhere between the minor hassle of dialing for an outside line before you make a call, an' needin' SWAT, the fire department or the rescue squad. 9, 91, 911."

Danny's face lit up.

"I like that. Pretty efficient. Bizarre, but efficient."

"You just described our basic secret-agent technique." Bobby retorted as he passed Danny and headed for the elevator. "You guys comin' or what?"

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"They want what?" Bobby asked quietly, his face twisted into an expression that was half disgusted grimace, half fury engendered by a father's instincts.

"I think I made myself perfectly clear. If you don't mind, I'd rather not repeat myself. My breakfast is already threatening an encore appearance."

"My God... how could they even dare to call here, never mind ask for... that?" Danny asked, fighting off sickness himself.

"They're Chrysalis, that's how. They play by their own rules and follow their own code of conduct, neither of which have anything to do with morals, conscience or humanity."

"And what... exactly, did they say they'll give us in return for this... repulsive demand?" Darien said, finally able to speak up.

"Every resource they can spare will be turned to the search for Jared Stark. If and when they do find him, he'll be dropped on our doorstep, boxed and tied with a pretty red ribbon. Whatever happens to him afterwards... they happily leave to our discretion."

"What they want in return isn't worth it." Danny asserted.

"The boy is dead, Agent Masters. We've learned all we can about the growth modification compound they treated him with. Whatever he might once have been... now he's a shell. It can't hurt anyone or anything to give our enemies his husk."

"It... she'll be devastated if she finds out. And what about the others?"

"The stated condition was that they be returned only if they die. We'll be doing everything in our power to see that doesn't happen."

"But... sir, it just isn't right. He deserves a decent burial."

"I agree, but you need to understand what Jared Stark could mean to this Agency... to the world at large. The information he could bring us could destroy the organization that did this to James and all the other children we worked to de-program."

"If they're the ones to deliver him, what makes you think there'll be anything left in his head but his own name?"

Bobby and Darien both turned their eyes to Danny, warm, proud smiles blossoming on their faces before they looked back to the Official.

"He's right, boss. If they get their hands on him first he'll end up stripped cleaner than a Thanksgivin' turkey at the Hobbes family table."

"Which is why we'll be stepping up the pace of our own search process." Borden replied with a faintly smug grin, which quickly faded. "But it can't hurt to have as many eyes and ears out there as possible. I'm agreeing to the deal."

Darien and Bobby both sat silent, knowing nothing they could say would change his mind, Danny started to argue, but Fawkes reached over and touch his arm.

"Danny... forget it. It hurts, yeah, and it makes us all sick, but... he's right. You haven't been through what we have with Chrysalis. If makin' a deal with the devil has the potential to make a permanent ice palace outta Hell... you shake hands. C'mon. Let's go, okay?" he suggested, standing and waiting for the younger man to follow suit. Eventually, he did.

"That surveillance on the warehouse still on for lunchtime, boss?" Bobby asked, hanging back as the other two left.

"It's still on. You'll be relieving Barnes and Mitchell."

"Right. Thanks."

"Bobby."

"Yeah?"

"I wanted to... commend you on how well Agent Masters has integrated into the Agency. He tells me you and Darien have both gone above and beyond to make him feel accepted."

Bobby responded, once his shock wore off.

"Yeah, well... Danny, he's a good kid. Smart, quick on his feet, good with his weapon.... He's got a few... sideways ideas we gotta tug straight, but give him another six, eight months, he's gonna be top notch, I guarantee."

"That's good to hear. I realize there could have been... envy issues, here, Bobby. It didn't happen. Thank you."

Hobbes took a bit longer to recover this time.

"Uh... yeah. You're uh... you're welcome, boss. I... I gotta go... get ready for the.... Um, stakeout. Yeah... okay. See ya in the mornin' with our report."

Borden smiled as he dug into a stack of paperwork. Bobby turned and fled.

What do you know? The way to break Hobbes' shell of perfect confidence is to be kind to him. I'll have to try that more often. Not every day, though. Can't let him learn to expect it. Watching him stumble like that is too much fun...

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TBC......


	2. 2

Corinthians 13 2/? basic info in chap 1

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MID-MORNING: MONDAY

"Albert, you are a true genius! I couldn't work, or access the net... I was ready to demolish this bloody machine."

"You needed more memory, that's all. It wasn't that big a fix, really." Eberts commented warmly, restoring the program Claire had been trying to update and rising so she could have her chair back. She mock frowned at him and refuted his statement.

"It certainly was! You're the computer doctor, dearest. I depend on you, you know that. Thank you so much, Albert." She replied, bending her head back to the data on the screen. Eberts grinned and watched her work for a few minutes. When the door chime rang, he moved a step or two away, intending to leave. At the last minute, however, he gave in to a sudden impulse, leaned in and dropped a swift, delicate kiss on Claire's temple. As the smaller man exited the Keep, Danny entered to find Claire with one hand to her head, staring after Eberts with a stunned expression, even after the door slid closed.

"Doctor Westerfield? Are you alright? Doctor?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes... fine. Just fine." she said, as a smile slowly bloomed on her lips.

"That's good. The way you were holding your head, I thought maybe you had a migraine."

"Migraine? No. No... It... it was simply... a surprise."

"A good one if that smile is any indication. A kiss?"

"How did you..."

"The rest of us can see the way he looks at you, even if you're a little too close to notice. Personally, I say good for him. I know we haven't known each other long, but he seems like a really great guy and you... from everything Darien and Bobby have told me, there isn't another woman like you in the world. Sounds like a perfect match."

"Yes... perhaps. Well, is there something I can do for you, Daniel? Not feeling ill, I hope."

"No, I feel great. I really just wondered if you had any psychology texts in your lab library."

"Of course." she responded, rising and moving to the bookshelves at the back of the Keep. "What area were you particularly interested in?"

"For now, something you don't need a PhD to follow." He answered, laughing and following a few steps behind her

"Hmm. Beginner's psychology, hmm? Ahhhh... here we are. This should do you very well as a primer. When you're ready, come by and I'll trade that in for something a little more advanced."

"Great. Thanks, Doctor Westerfield. This'll do...."

Danny's words trailed off as he spotted an author's name he recognized from recent internet research; Dr. Elizabeth Kubler Ross. "Umm... can I borrow this too? I'll bring it back the minute I'm done, I swear."

Claire pulled the book and handed it to him, noting the author and title only absently.

"No rush, Daniel. I've had that for a long while. Keep it however long you like. On one condition."

"Uh-huh."

"Call me Claire."

He grinned and stuck out his free hand.

"Danny. Nice to meet you, Claire."

She shook, they laughed and talked a little, Danny apologized for interrupting her work and took his leave, carrying both books with him.

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WHARF DISTRICT: 5:00 P.M.

"Man, I hate stakeouts! I'm starving." Darien grumbled. Bobby reached into the back of the truck, fumbled around and ended up tossing a box into his husband's lap. Fawkes gazed at the item then scowled at Hobbes. "You want me to eat Bobbi's arrowroot cookies?"

"It's food. 'Sides, lately I'm beginning to wonder if you ain't teethin' too."

"And what, exactly, is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothin'. I'm sorry, babe. It's me, I guess. I keep gettin' that feelin' again... like before the weddin'."

"The everything's goin' too good feeling? It didn't happen then, Bert, it won't happen this time. We've made it through so much. Please don't go gettin' all 'self-fufilling prophecy' on me now."

"I'm not. It's just... her birthday's comin' up. It's... it's a milestone, ya know? A sign-post that lets us know we're still goin' the right way. Once we get past that an' everything's status quo... I'll be fine."

"God..." Darien exclaimed softly, staring down at the box in his hands. "that's right. With the Chrysalis thing an' Alex... the therapy, the ceremony... it feels like ten years since I had Bobbi."

"Speakin a'therapy, when were you plannin' on tellin' Cheryl that the sleep walkin' ain't completely over and done yet?"

Darien tossed the box back into the rear of the SUV and stared out the window.

"I said I did."

"Yeah, well she says otherwise."

The younger man's gaze shifted abruptly back to his husband.

"How... she been tellin' you all my stuff? She's not supposed to do that!"

"She didn't. Since you said you told her, I thought it was okay to bring it up in my last session. Little did I know you fibbed, to me and to the doc."

"I did that to make you feel better. I don't think it's such a big thing, okay? It's only happened twice in the last month, both during times when we were in the middle of tough cases. I guess... I see it like a kid sucking his thumb who's too old for it. When I'm stressed I back-slide a little and I go lookin' for... whatever it is I'm lookin' for when I sleepwalk."

"I just... it rips my guts that I can't do anything to help... that I can't make you feel safe."

"God, Bert... when are you gonna get it through your head? I don't trust anybody like I do you! This thing... it's not about you or something I can't get with or from you. You give me everything I could ever ask for and way beyond. Just lemme keep suckin' my thumb a little longer. I'll give it up when I'm ready."

"When you find what you're lookin' for, you mean." Hobbes responded darkly.

"Damn it, Bobby..."

Just then, the radio crackled to life, startling both men slightly and interrupting another round of reassurances from Darien.

"Relief is here, guys. You awake?"

"Hey, Danny. Right on time." Darien replied with a smile of relief that the potential argument with Bobby had been headed off, at least for a while.

"Aren't I always? You guys can go pick up Miss Roberta and head on home. We've got it."

"Thanks, man. See you tomorrow morning."

"Unfortunately for you." Danny joked back. He and his partner of the day watched the SUV exit the area through a narrow alley then Danny settled in with his recently acquired reading material.

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When Darien and Bobby pulled up in front of the apartment, they both instantly tensed when they took note of an unfamiliar car parked just ahead of them.

"Nobody in it."

"That's 'cause he's knockin' on our door."

"You stayin' with the kid or am I?" Bobby asked.

"I'll stay."

"Right. Lock the doors, start the engine back up."

"I know the drill." Darien responded with mild irritation as Bobby slid out of the driver's seat and his husband took his place.

"A reminder never hurts." Hobbes tossed back as he closed the door. He hesitated until he saw Darien depress the button that electronically secured the truck then he made his way up the walk to confront the stranger.

"Mister Hobbes? Or are you Mister Fawkes?"

"First you tell me your name. Then we'll discuss mine."

"Steven Lawson. Child Protective Services." He said, holding out a business card. Bobby moved just close enough to take it.

"Okay. So your name's on the card an' the seal looks good. What is it you want?"

Lawson's eyebrow went up a notch at the notion that Hobbes knew enough to check the embossed state seal, but then he remembered that both of the men he'd been sent to investigate were federal agents.

"We've had a complaint regarding a child in your care. I've been sent to look over the child's environment and interview both you and your partner."

"Our daughter's just fine. You can leave now."

"I'm afraid I can't do that."

"That's what you think. You can go on your own, my friend, or I'll give you a swift kick to show you the way..."

"It's okay, Bobby. He can come in." Darien said flatly as he passed both men up, keys dangling from his fingers and Bobbi Claire safely tucked against his chest.

"You were supposed to stay in the car!"

"I saw the state government plates. Figured he was somebody official. There's nothin' in the house he can't look at, babe. Let him see everything's like it should be. Then they'll leave us alone." He reasoned, moving inside with Bobbi.

Bobby grunted, but eventually gestured for Lawson to precede him in through the now unlocked and half open door. The newcomer's eyes widened slightly on seeing the relative cleanliness of the apartment

"Picked up and scrubbed down. Very nice gentlemen."

"Yeah, well, we got a lotta space here. Too much temptation to throw things around and leave 'em. You start thinkin' 'Everything else is clean, so the one little dirty place don't look so bad'. Ya know, it's the entropy thing. If we started lettin' it slide even in one spot, pretty soon the whole place'd be a wreck."

"I have three kids of my own. Trust me, I understand."

Darien emerged just then from the bedroom with a freshly diapered Bobbi on his hip.

"Lemme go get Bobbi Claire settled in her high-chair and I'll start showing you around." he told the investigator.

"If you'd like to, that would be fine. Don't feel you have to shadow me, though. It's true that some investigators go into these home visits praying they'll find something awful and horrifying. I work from the other end of the spectrum. Please believe me, I'm not out to tear your child away from you. I'm already impressed with what I see. All I need is an hour or so to check out the rest of the rooms and talk with both of you about some of the allegations that have been made."

"Okay." Darien agreed cautiously, finding he trusted the other man, despite his reservations. "You go do what you need to. We'll be in the kitchen when you're ready to talk."

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TBC...


	3. Chapter 3

Corinthians 13 3/?

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"I'm completely satisfied with the apartment. Your daughter has everything she could need or want as far as I can see." Lawson commented warmly as he joined the two men and Bobbi at the kitchen table. "All the recommended safety devices are in place and properly installed, the water isn't too hot... it's all terrific. I just have a few questions and then we'll be done."

Darien tensed and gazed quickly at his husband, who was tending a pot or two on the stove. Hobbes nodded.

"Okay. Go on."

"Which one of you is the artist who created the paintings I saw in the back room?"

"I am."

"Are you currently taking anti-depressants or any other form of medication?"

"No."

Lawson was now the one to tense up slightly, reacting to the sudden fear in Darien's eyes.

"You don't have to explain if you're uncomfortable. You're under no obligation..."

"Yeah, but if I don't talk you'll tell the state that I'm a psycho who shouldn't be taking care of a box turtle, never mind a child, right?"

"Absolutely not. I'd feel a bit more comfortable if I understood, but I promise it won't affect my evaluation one way or the other."

Bobby lowered the heat on their dinner, turned and walked back to take his seat at the table. He squeezed his husband's hands then took over the conversation, somberly repeating the cover story they'd concocted to protect themselves and their child.

"Before Roberta Claire was born, I was havin' a... a real hard time acceptin' that I was about to become a father. Darien an' me had this huge fight... I walked away for a while. Obviously we patched it up, but... it was toughest on him. That's when he painted those dark pictures. Since we talked it out and since Sunshine over there came to us for good, that's all changed."

"Yes, I noticed that bright, joyful subjects make up the majority of his body of work. The child's mother died giving birth?"

"Yeah."

"And the two of you are a couple?"

"Damn right." Bobby retorted, sitting up straight and glaring the other man down. "You got somethin' to say about it? I hope to hell not..."

"Please, I didn't mean to offend anyone. I'm just confirming what I already sensed between you both. Roberta Claire is well taken care of by two people who love her and each other."

"Are you tryin' to say someone in the CPS could cause trouble because we're both guys?"

"Sometimes that can get sticky, but it's almost always in cases where the couple is hoping to adopt a child that isn't theirs. Because one of you is the biological father and your home is so great, I can't imagine you'll have any problems. My superiors won't find anything in my report to go forward on. To tell you the truth, they only sent me out because the complainant was so persistent. They wanted to be able to provide the person with a paper and ink reason never to come back." He chuckled.

Bobby smiled grimly, but it didn't last.

"You can't tell us who started this whole shi... mess, can you?"

"I'm sorry, no. Regulations protect the complainant from retribution in cases where domestic violence is occurring. Speaking of adoption, have you started proceedings in that direction, Mr. Fawkes? I only ask because I couldn't find any relevant paperwork in the system."

"She's my daughter. Nothing can ever make that more real or more official than it is already. Paper's just... paper. Maybe it'd make everybody else breathe easier, but we don't need it."

"It's not a legal necessity. Anyone could see what a strong bond you have with her. The question was just a formality. I think that's about all I wanted to clarify. Thank you for your time and your openness, gentlemen. Once I file this report, I can pretty much guarantee we won't ever have to do this again." Lawson said, standing and grabbing his briefcase and notepad. "By the way, Mr. Fawkes.... you really are a very talented painter. You should consider trying to get a gallery showing. There are several great places in the area who love to showcase gifted unknown artists."

"How do you... wait. Lawson? You can't be... are you related to Gio Lawson?" he asked incredulously, naming a famous local artist whose career he'd followed since his high school days.

"He's my uncle."

"But he's... with a legacy like that behind you, how did you end up doing this?"

"When I was a teenager, I watched my older brother go through pure hell after he found out his wife was abusing their eight month old little boy. It took him another year to get that kid out of her care and by that time there wasn't much anyone could do to save the baby's life. I decided I wasn't going to let that happen to anyone else's family."

"Hey... I'm sorry...."

"Don't be. I'm doing good in the world. At least I hope so. Besides, I can't even finger-paint. I'm really glad this situation was as perfect as it turned out to be. I don't get to see that too often. Thanks again for your time."

Darien moved to rise and walk their visitor to the door, but Bobby laid a hand on his shoulder and eased him back down, murmuring that he should stay with their daughter. Bobbi mentally agreed and her mother conceded.

When Hobbes returned, he moved into the bathroom, emerging a few minutes later looking pale. Darien knew at once what was worrying his love.

"Did he look in the medicine cabinet?"

"I can't tell. Maybe."

"Bert... if he thought your meds were gonna be a problem he would've said something. He'll check out Cheryl's credentials, find out your scrips are legit and that'll be that."

"He'll also find out what the pills are for. Then we're all screwed." the smaller man countered, pacing swiftly back and forth.

"Damn it, you haven't had an major episode in almost three years, Bobby. The meds are strictly maintenance now..."

"I still should've told him instead a'lettin him find out on his own. It looks like I'm hidin' somethin'...."

Darien was about to reply when Bobbi whimpered anxiously and sent him a telepathic message unlike anything she'd shown him before. The image in his mind was a block of color; bile yellow, tinged with red and pea-green at the edges. His head whipped around abruptly and he stared at her. Hobbes flinched and strode over to her high-chair, lifting her up and pressing her head gently against his shoulder.

"Hey, hey... it's alright little one. Everything's alright now... Ari? What was that?"

"I... I don't know. Whatever you were feeling... I think."

"It did sorta remind me of how bad my stomach was twisted up right then. God, I knew she picked up on what we felt, but... not that strong."

"And she didn't have the words or pictures to describe it... so she showed it to us with color."

"Yeah..."

Hobbes dropped back into his seat at the table and Darien began to join in soothing his daughter. Eventually, Bobbi sent another color image to both men; this time supple, slowly moving swirls of cream and pink. Bobby gazed at Darien, his expression slightly confused, but much more calm than it had been a few minutes before.

"Peaceful?"

"That'd be my guess. The other one had to be worry... or fear maybe."

"It was a little a'both." He affirmed, stroking up and down his daughter's back. After another moment, she lifted her head and focused on her mother. Darien laughed. "What?"

"She showed me her bowl and spoon. She's ready to finish dinner."

"Oh geez. I almost forgot! Better get the heat back on under our dinner before the consommé's ruined. Won't be fit to eat if I don't shake a leg..."

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THE FOLLOWING MORNING:

"No problems? Not one?"

"You have my report. The allegations were utterly unfounded. Both men are solidly employed, the baby's environment is safe, happy and loving and my opinion is that they're exemplary parents."

"I see that here." His boss responded, turning pages in the file. "This is very well done. I can't see anything to find fault with. All the I's dotted and T's crossed. Nice job. This discharges our responsibility to Mrs. Whitson. From now on she can take her paranoia elsewhere." He said happily, closing the folder with a grin and a sigh of deep relief.

"Hopefully. I'll be more than glad to tell her that the next time she calls. Which should be any minute..."

"She's still doing daily check-ins to see how the case is progressing?"

"Unfortunately. At least now I have some news for her, even if it's all bad from where she's standing."

"Yes, well, try and convince her how rare such a good home situation is, will you? Maybe she'll finally see the light and let this go."

"If wishes were horses... Ah. There goes my phone now."

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THE AGENCY

"Albert, we really need to talk. This can't go on much longer."

Eberts' heart dropped into a black hole at the words he'd desperately wanted to believe he'd never hear. He flushed, frowned and coughed, but couldn't speak. He knew Claire needed a response from him, but his normally agile mind had suddenly gone blank.

"Claire... I..."

"The way we are at the moment is lovely. I adore your shyness and your gentleness, but..."

"Please Claire, don't. Don't finish that sentence. I couldn't bear it."

"Well I can't bear hanging about like this! Kisses and holding hands would be fine if we lived in Victorian England, but this is post-millennium America and... I'm so randy I'm about to have a stroke!"

Eberts' eyes bulged and his flush grew considerably deeper.

"Excuse me?" he squeaked, astounded at her words.

Her gaze deadly serious, Claire reached out and gripped her reluctant suitor's face with both hands.

"I know how frightened you are, Albert. I know you think that if you say the words... if you tell me how you feel, you'll be rejected and hurt. Don't you see? That can't happen when your feelings are returned. Albert... dearest Albert... I would never reject you."

"Claire... what are you saying?"

"Saying?" she responded, a slow, wicked smile now curving her lips. "What I'm saying, my sweet one... is that the courtship is over... and if you don't make a move soon... I will."

With those words, Claire leaned in and planted a hungry, purposeful kiss on the shell-shocked accountant; one that spoke convincingly of her desires and her needs. Gradually, Eberts' own libido began to awaken. He wrapped one hand tentatively around the back of Claire's neck, insinuating his fingers into her lustrous golden tresses.

Finally they parted, both panting for breath and grinning from ear to ear. "I'll see you at my house for dinner tonight, then?"

Eberts could only nod. "Good. Seven o'clock?"

Another nod. Taking the thoroughly stupefied man by the shoulders, she turned him and walked him to the door of the Keep. "Don't forget the flowers. Whatever you choose will be wonderful. I'll take care of the wine and everything else."

"Uh-huh. Seven o'clock... bring flowers..."

"That's a good man...."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TBC......


	4. Chapter 4

Corinthians 13 4?

--------------------

8:30 P.M.: CLAIRE'S HOUSE

---------------------------

Claire sat back in her chair, wiping her mouth lightly with her napkin. After a moment, she sighed happily and smiled at her dinner companion.

"Albert, that was delectable. You truly are a marvelous cook."

"Well, when one lives alone... Are you sure you had enough? There are more brownies in the kitchen and we barely scratched the surface of the French vanilla ice cream..."

"Please, no!" she responded, laughing. "Besides dessert, I had salad, two helpings of roast beef and vegetables, plus your homemade bread. Any more and I'd burst. As it is I'll have to add an extra day at the gym this week. Not that it wasn't worth it, mind you. For a meal like this I'll gladly endure a few more sit-ups."

"I'm so glad." Eberts said, rising to take the last of their dishes to the sink. Once their dessert bowls were rinsed and stacked in the dishwasher, he joined Claire on the couch in the living room and accepted a snifter with a generous splash of brandy in the bottom. Smiling shyly, he swirled the dark liquid around a bit, lowered his face close to the rim and drew in a deep breath, savoring the luxurious, almost tangible aroma before taking a sip. "Mmm. Lovely. Thank you."

"You're welcome." Claire replied, gazing warmly at him with hooded eyes over the edge of her own glass. "Albert... can we talk about this morning?"

"Th... this morning? Ah... of course. I... I thought it went rather well..."

"It did. I was thrilled when you began to participate in our kiss. You were gentle and sweet, as always. I simply thought... it seemed like an entirely new experience for you. Was it?"

Eberts flushed from collar to hairline and quickly turned away. "I'm sorry. I just... I have to know, Albert. I'd love to turn this claddah ring around... to show the world that I'm yours, but I need a timetable. Please say something."

"Claire... I'm... this is very difficult for me. Talking about..."

"Sex."

"Yes, that. I'm not even experienced in discussing it, never mind..."

"Surely you've kissed before."

"Well, yes... but not like this morning. You wanted me to kiss you. It wasn't a brief, uncomfortable good-night or-or a moment of pity. The positive emotions I could feel from you... that's what was so surprising, not the kiss itself."

"But you haven't gone much beyond that point?"

Eberts cringed, turned even redder and tried to actually shift his whole body away from Claire's line of sight instead of just his face, but she wouldn't allow his retreat. "Don't, please. I'm not asking these questions to make you feel ashamed, Albert. I just had to know where we're starting from, that's all."

"I... I've never actually... made love. I was touched once, but it was... 'quick and dirty' as they say. It made me feel dirty, at least. I was young and I thought... if that's what everyone talks about, I'll say no thank you and happily leave sex behind me forever."

Claire reached out and stroked his hand gently.

"Albert, I'm so sorry."

"Don't. Don't pity me, Claire. I couldn't stand that..."

"It isn't pity. It's outrage on your behalf. Noone had the right to treat you like that... to make you think sex was a passionless, filthy secret instead of something beautiful. Will you let me show you the truth, Albert? Will you let me show you how it can be with someone who wants and needs... and loves you?"

"Dearest Claire... the deepest desire of my heart is to not only see that ring reversed, but to add two more to it. I believe in you, you know that... it's myself I have no faith in. I catch on to new ideas and technology so quickly. I'm used to knowing all the answers and being able to solve every problem, but when it comes to things like love and intimacy... I feel like a clumsy fool and that terrifies me. I don't want to make an unforgivable blunder and lose you..."

"Oh, Albert..." Claire murmured reassuringly, leaning in and lightly kissing his cheek. "... there's almost nothing that can't be forgiven as long as we can talk it out. You've seen the proof of that."

Eberts pulled back a little and gazed at Claire with wondering eyes.

"Robert and Darien."

"That's right."

"I remember... we were both so afraid that Robert might have lost his chance at true love and the family he'd always wanted. But he gave us a surprise I won't soon forget."

"Once they were finally alone in the same room, Bobby opened up about his fears and his pain and Darien was able to let go of the betrayal he'd been feeling since Bobby left."

"I won't ever let it get that far, Claire, I promise you that. If there's ever a problem, I'll always be the first to come to you and try to resolve it and I vow I'll try never to hide what I'm feeling..."

"I know, love, I know." She replied, embracing him tightly. "I never thought for a moment that you'd be any other way. It's who you are."

His head lying softly on Claire's shoulder, Eberts sighed and murmured something that it took Claire a few moments to interpret.

"You love me."

Eventually she decided it was a statement of acceptance, not a question, and she simply held him tighter. They wouldn't make it to her bedroom tonight, but at least she now knew their bond was a certainty in his mind. As long as their devotion and connection were progressing, passion could wait a little longer.

--------------------

THE AGENCY: THE FOLLOWING MORNING

In their usual chairs, Bobby and Darien sat attending the morning briefing. Darien wasn't sure if Hobbes had noticed, but the younger man had surprised himself several times in the last few weeks by making suggestions and comments that showed he was actively listening to what was being said. As he had told his boss, Darien liked his job and he was genuinely trying to do his best at it, despite the pain and death that still occasionally disturbed him.

"That's about it, boys. Hopefully the surveillance on that little airstrip will pan out and we'll catch Chrysalis red-handed with the chemicals."

"Hope so, boss." Hobbes responded, rising to his feet. "We'll report in after our shift out there."

"Good. By the way, nice work last week, Fawkes. Those hackers never knew what hit them."

"Thanks. I'm just glad it worked..."

Darien cut his sentence short when Eberts cell rang. He lifted it to his ear, but didn't speak. Instead he listened to the caller for a few seconds, then shut and replaced the phone, his skin pale and his expression anxious.

"What is it, Eberts? You look awful." The Official commented, looking a little worried himself.

"I... that was security, sir. Apparently someone walked in downstairs and simply... surrendered himself to the receptionist."

Darien frowned.

"Okay... that's weird but not exactly cause for lookin' like death warmed over."

"He specifically said he was handing himself over to the Agency."

Bobby suddenly sat forward in his chair.

"Crap. This is what we been waitin' on, ain't it?"

"From their description of the man... it well could be."

Borden abruptly took on a tense posture as well.

"You mean... it's Stark!"

"He hasn't given his name."

"Doesn't matter." Bobby countered, rising swiftly to his feet. "Can't be anybody but him."

"Hobbes, wait a minute..." the Official began, but he was cut off.

"No! There's no time. Ebes, will you get Bobbi outta the line of fire?"

"Absolutely. Claire and I will take her to my apartment and wait for you there."

"Thanks, buddy. You ready to go get him, partner?" Hobbes asked Darien, his eyes gleaming. The younger man looked up and grasped his husband's wrist, then stood and met his eyes anxiously.

"It could be a set-up. I don't... I won't let him take me away from my little girl, Bert." Darien replied quietly.

"He's not gettin' you away from me, either, babe. We'll take Danny down with us and keep him outta sight 'till we know what's what. If anything goes bad, he'll be there as surprise backup. Okay?"

"Yeah. Sorry about the mini-freakout..."

"We'll talk later. Right now, we got some garbage to go collect. You ready?"

"Promise I can smack the bastard 'till his brains fall out?"

"I got no problem with that."

"Then I'm ready."

------------------------------

TBC... 


	5. Chapter 5

Corinthians 13 -- 5?

-----------------

Just to be as safe as possible, the trio took the stairs down to the lobby. They motioned Danny to stay out of sight behind the doorframe and keep his weapon ready then Bobby pulled his. Darien whispered a countdown from three and both men stepped out into the open space, ready to do battle. Within a few seconds, however, they realized their precautions had been unnecessary. Two security guards were kneeling on the floor, tending to Jared Stark, who appeared to be unconscious. Bobby and Darien approached slowly.

"You're sure he's out?" Bobby asked.

"Positive, Agent Hobbes. He's shaking, burning up with fever... this guy's got one foot in the grave."

Darien went to one knee and studied the face of the man who had tried to take his life countless times and had destroyed the lives of so many others.

"He looks like he's been living on the streets for God's sake."

"He probably has." Bobby replied, gingerly touching his husband's shoulder, worried about his reaction to the situation. "Chrysalis gave him everything. When he got kicked out, they weren't gonna let him keep it. Danny! It's okay."

Danny appeared, looking around warily. "Holster the weapon, kid. Get on the radio and get us some medical help down here, will ya?"

"Sure. Is that really... him?"

"Yeah. That's the guy every alphabet agency in this state claims never existed."

"He looks pretty real to me."

"He won't be for much longer if you keep yappin' instead a'doin' what I asked."

"Right. Sorry..." he murmured, lifting his radio to his mouth. "This is Agent Masters. I need a med team in the lobby ASAP..."

Bobby urged Darien back to his feet and tugged him a short distance away in case Stark was contagious, wrapping one arm around his husband in support. Danny joined them once the medical personnel arrived and all three men stood back, watching one of the Agency's greatest enemies be given oxygen and IV fluids.

"This isn't right. In my head he's still... what he was. Jared Stark isn't somebody who just walks in and drops on our lobby floor. He's... he's the bad guy. He's supposed to be trying to kill me or kidnap me or... something. I don't understand..."

"I know, babe. Things have changed for him as much as they have for you an' me, I guess." Bobby said reassuringly. "But Chrysalis is still alive an' kickin', remember. Not all the black hats are fallin' at our feet."

Darien nodded, but Bobby realized his love was beginning to tremble. "Hey, you alright?"

"No... not even close. I need to get outta here." Darien replied, turning and heading swiftly back for the doorway they'd entered through. Bobby was right on his heels, leaving Danny alone to watch the medics prepare Stark for transport downstairs. He knew he'd be expected to re-join the other two in the Official's office, but he swiftly decided to make a detour first. Turning, he quietly slipped away and made for the stairs.

---------------------------------

Lexy, come on. I know you're still mad, but don't ignore me, not now. This is important! Danny pleaded in his head, slapping the glass lightly to get Alex's attention and praying it wouldn't draw anyone else's. Finally, she glanced at him and the urgency in his expression caused her face to shift from pissed off to mildly curious. Striding casually to the window, she gazed at him and motioned for him to start signing.

Thank God. I was sure you wouldn't ever look at me again, never mind talk to me. I can't stay long, so you need to pay attention.

What is it? Is something wrong?

Stark... that's the man you said took your son from you, right? He's here.

What! He can't be! That's impossible...

He walked in downstairs and surrendered. He's sick... so sick he may not survive the night. I thought you had a right to know.

You're the only one, I'm sure. Thank you, Danny.

I have to go, but I'll be back tonight after they all go home, okay? Take care of yourself, Lexy.

I'll try.

As Danny raced off, Alex turned and began to pace around the perimeter of her cell, thoughts and questions racing around her mind. Halting, hands braced against the wall, she made a start on fighting off the depression she'd been suffering as well as the pain and lethargy that accompanied it. She knew it would take time, but she was determined to get her mind back in fighting shape and find an escape route, both from her physical prison and her mental one. Now she had a reason, someone who actually seemed to care whether she lived or died, so taking her teeth to her wrists and fleeing not just the room, but the planet, was no longer a viable option. Thoughts and questions drifted lazily through her mind, at first unwilling to take any shape at all, but as she focused on sweet Danny, her only motivation for staying alive, the chaos slowly coalesced into at least the outline of a plan.

----------------------------

"Fawkes. Darien?"

Yeah, boss. Sorry. I'm just... I don't know." Darien answered distractedly, unable to really focus on anything The Official or Bobby were saying to him.

"I can see that. Did he look that bad, Hobbes?"

"Yeah. Looked like he'd pretty much been homeless an' hungry since Chrysalis cut him loose."

"And sick."

"More like one foot in the grave, sir. I'd be real surprised if he lasts the night."

"Fawkes was upset... understandable. Anyone would be."

"It wasn't that, boss. Not really. It's... I can't explain it. Darien, he just..."

"It's alright. No explanation necessary. Go check on Stark's status then take Darien home. Make sure he rests."

"You sure?"

The Official grinned lightly, a shock in itself, then stunned both his top agents completely.

"He's in distress and while he is, so are you. Take the rest of the day and if you need more time, call in sick tomorrow. That's all the time I can let you have though..."

"Uhhh... understood, boss. Thanks..."

"You're welcome, Hobbes. Now go, before I change my mind."

"Yeah... right, boss. We're gone. C'mon, Fawkes."

Bobby helped Darien onto his feet and guided him toward the door where they met Danny. "Where you been, Masters?"

"In the excitement I left my laptop on with some work unsaved. I had to go fix that before I lost all my research."

"Oh. Makes sense, I guess. Look, can you handle things for the rest of the day? Soon as we get a report on our visitor from the medics, Fawkes an' I are headed home."

"Yeah, of course. Are you okay, Darien?"

"I will be. I'm... I just got a little shook up, that's all. Nothin' major."

"We should be back in right on time tomorrow, but if anything changes I'll get you on your cell, okay?" Bobby assured his newest colleague.

"Right. Take care you two."

"We're gonna give it our best shot." Bobby replied grimly, leading his increasingly distraught husband away. Danny watched them go, pondering the volume of information he still had to catch up on before he understood enough to fully become a part of the Agency and the tight knit group Darien and Bobby had gathered around them. He knew she'd hate it, but he resolved not to visit Alex again until he'd dug through more old cases, talked to Claire and Eberts and completed more of his research on grief and depression.

------------------------------

MED-LEVEL:

"Just gimme the straight story. Is he gonna live?"

"He'd need a miracle to do it. He's fighting severe pneumonia and at least three badly infected wounds, all of which we're treating with anti-biotics. If he survives the night... then yes, he has a chance, but it's still a slim one."

"Pneumonia... crap. I never shoulda let Darien get near him..."

"Agent Fawkes has had his shots this year, Agent Hobbes. He should be perfectly safe and so should Roberta."

"Yeah? Thanks. Do everything you can to keep Stark on this planet, okay? We need him."

"Understood, but it may be out of our hands."

"I know. I'm gonna be on my knees talkin' to the one whose hands it is in, trust me." Bobby grunted, moving away toward the Keep to pick up Darien. "Claire? Ari?"

"In the back, Bobby."

Striding into the rear of the extensive lab, Bobby found his best friends both silently eating fudgesicles and listening to one of Darien's favorite mix tapes from his pregnancy. Claire looked up with a sympathetic expression as Bobby approached.

"He needed soothing. The music and chocolate still do the trick."

"For me too. Thanks, Keepie. You always take good care of my guy."

"I love him too, Bobby." she said, smiling as Darien used a napkin to catch a drip of brown sliding down his chin.

"Thank God you do." Bobby responded, hugging her tightly with one arm and dropping a quick kiss into her hair. "Ebes got the rug-rat?"

"Yes. Speaking of love..."

"Yeah. Like she was his own. She's bonded with him just as strong. Have I told you two how lucky we are you've got our backs?"

"Not in the last forty-eight hours, so go ahead and say it again." Claire joked lightly.

Darien finished his pop and tossed away the stick in a nearby trash basket.

"Can I have another one, Claire?" he asked quietly.

"Tell you what, babe," Bobby suggested "let's go get Bobbi, I'll let the Fish know what's up with Stark an' we'll head home, with a quick stop at the grocery store for a couple boxes a'those fudge things?"

"Seriously?"

" 'Course."

"Okay. You report, I'll find Eberts and meet you in the garage,"

"Deal. Bye, Claire." Bobby said, squeezing her tightly once more before walking away beside the love of his life. Claire gazed after them, concern weighing down her heart, but she knew that even if Jared Stark died, Darien and Bobby would handle it together. What genuinely frightened her was what might happen if their enemy lived.

-----------------------------------

TBC... 


	6. Chapter 6

Corinthians 13: 6/?

---------------------

Neither man spoke when they finally made it home that day, at least not for the first hour or so. Bobby considered trying to just drag the source of his unease out of his husband, but temporarily conceded the battle, starting dinner while Darien got Bobbi changed and settled in her playpen. Once the pot roast he'd been marinating in the fridge all day was safely in the oven, surrounded by veggies and beef stock mixed with coffee, Hobbes walked to where his love was staring blankly out the window and tugged him back towards the living room.

"Bobby... cut it out. C'mon. Stop, damn it!"

"Couch. Serious Discussion time."

Darien sighed and stopped struggling, allowing Bobby to guide him down onto the cushions and then back to lean against the smaller man's body. Bobbi, having seen her parents do this before and aware that it could take a while, lay down and closed her eyes, slipping into a light doze.

"I can't... I don't even understand it..."

"You don't have to. Just talk, baby. Whatever comes out, it don't matter. Maybe if you turn the faucet on, the hurt'll pour out with everything else... just let go of somethin', love... please."

"I wish I could. I just... the words aren't there... not yet. I... I know it's Stark... and Arnaud too... and I know I'm scared to death. I just don't know what they have to do with each other..."

Bobby mused silently for several minutes before a possible answer emerged for him, but he hesitated to speak, unsure of the intuition that had provided the idea. Eventually, however, he voiced his thoughts, praying he could find a way to comfort the man he adored if his words held the truth.

"Maybe... maybe you're thinkin' that... if Stark survives an' gives us what we need to take Chrysalis down... there won't be any... any purpose for you at the Agency anymore."

The arm he'd wrapped securely around Darien's chest was suddenly clutched with such ferocity that Bobby knew he'd have bloody crescents in his skin when they were done.

"Bert... oh God..." Darien responded, his voice barely audible.

"It's okay... it's okay, baby. You think I don't know... or I haven't noticed? You've learned so much since you started. With or without that stupid lump of... whatever in your head, you're a good agent... and you're my partner, my lover an' my husband, for God sakes..."

"And a pain in the fat man's ass..."

"Like I give a shit about that. Even if Stark's weirdo buddies do get wiped out of existence, Borden wouldn't dare try to push you out. If he did the rest of us would be right behind you an' he knows it. Besides... it ain't like the world's suddenly declared a planet-wide truce or every creep an' criminal realized the error a'their ways. There's still plenty a'mayhem out there to keep the Agency's best team busy."

"You're sweet... but a lousy liar, at least when you lie to me. I'm not the best in the agency. I'm not even the best this side of the Mississippi."

"Ari..."

"No, Bert. I never got any real training. They threw me into the deep end, expecting me to instantly turn into Aquaman... and they got pissy when I couldn't do it. I could be so much better than I am at this... secret agent stuff. I have so much incentive to do that, now."

"Ari... are you askin' what I think you're askin'?"

"Sure sounds like it. Never thought I'd want this, Bert... but I do. Will you train me? Really show me what you went through to get your badge. Please?"

"Yeah. If you still feel the same in the morning... I'll talk to The Fish and see if he'll give us a couple weeks off. Okay?"

"Okay. I love you so much, Bobby... sometimes I don't know how I hold it all inside me without goin' boom..."

"Ditto, sweetheart. Ditto all over the place..."

Bobby kissed his husband softly on the neck and held him tightly for a long while, both of them studying their beautiful daughter with expressions of love and wonder. Abruptly, she rose up onto her knees, pointed at the door and began to babble excitedly. Darien sat up and was just about to question her when a knock sounded, startling the two men.

"Did she just..."

"Don't ask, Bert. Just... don't. We'll figure it out later." Darien replied as he laid a gentle peck on Bobby's hand and rose to answer the door.

"Claire?"

"I simply couldn't leave the two of you alone tonight. My heart wouldn't allow it. I brought bread." She told him, offering a long, foil wrapped package that steamed faintly in the cool air. Darien chuckled quietly and stepped aside, gesturing her in.

"I should have guessed. C'mon in."

The door had only been closed a minute or two when Bobbi began to wriggle and chatter again. Bobby grinned.

"Guess who?"

When the knock came, Darien opened the door and greeted Eberts warmly.

"The gang's all here, I guess."

"Darien, Robert. I hope I'm not imposing, but... my conscience kept at me until..."

"Yeah, Claire's did the same thing to her. It's okay, Ebes. Plenty of dinner for everybody. Oooh, nice wine."

"Dessert is in the car. I wasn't sure..."

Darien lit up.

"Chocolate? I hope, I hope."

"No, actually. Claire's bread pudding. She taught me how to make it not long ago..."

"Yeah! The only thing better than chocolate! Is the car locked?" Bobby enthused. Eberts handed him the keys. Soon all the food and all four adults were inside, Bobbi on Claire's lap, happily consuming her own dinner.

"That's a good girl. Yes, when you finish a few more spoonfuls, you may have a little pudding." Claire responded to a mental request from the infant. "Your uncle makes it quite well. It took a little practice, but he's quite a cook, so... uncle? It's... it's just a name. A way to show that he's special to you and that he loves you... Oh. Oh my..." she suddenly gasped, the hand that wasn't supporting Bobbi flying up to cover her mouth.

"What? What?" Darien said, rushing over from the stove to check on the pair. "Are you okay? Is she?"

"We're both fine. It's just... when I called Albert her uncle, she... she rejected that and showed me a picture of the four of us standing side by side. I think... she considers myself and Albert as much parents as she does you and Bobby."

Darien released a sigh of relief.

"Is that all? Of course she does. You practically are. Cripes, Claire, don't scare me like that."

"You knew? Has she told you this?"

"No, but Bobby an' I feel that way. Why shouldn't the kid?"

"Darien..."

"Ah, Claire, you're a softie." He replied affectionately, stroking her hair and dropping a swift kiss on her cheek. "You got a heart the size of Texas and Alaska combined, an' I love you for it, but you get me cryin', I'm eatin' your portion of dessert. Clear?"

"Understood."

A moment later, Bobbi swatted Claire gently on the arm to get her attention back on dinner. "Yes, darling, I haven't forgotten..."

---------------------

THREE HOURS LATER:

Claire sipped carefully at her tea and then looked skeptically at Darien.

"Training? Darien, you don't need any training. Your control over the gland is perfect. It couldn't get any better."

"Not see-through, training, Claire; agent training. I carry a badge... but I didn't earn it. It's about time I changed that."

"But... I don't understand. You've always been so ambivalent about the whole idea of the government... well, when you weren't actively hostile."

Bobby breathed deeply, gazed questioningly at his husband and got a tiny nod.

"If Stark gives it up and Chrysalis takes a head-shot, Claire... Ari's worried the brass will decide he's done the job they sent him to us for. He wants 'em to have a reason to keep him around. I told him he didn't need it, that he's turned out to be a great agent... but I can see his side of the issue too."

"So you agreed to train him? Dear, Lord... well, I'd rather it be you than someone who doesn't know or care for him. At least I know you'll be patient and forgiving."

"The final decision hasn't been made just yet." Darien reassured her. "I promised I'd sleep on it."

"Good," Eberts said. "... although I can also see your point, Darien. Even if it isn't really necessary, having the job security will make you feel better. That can't be discounted."

"No. And if worse comes to worst and the Agency does pink-slip me, I'll have some skills to take somewhere else. Another alphabet agency or the cops... even private security..."

At another knock on the door, Darien let his sentence drift off, unfinished. "Who can that be? All of us are here already?"

Bobby laid a hand on Darien's chest as he rose to his feet.

"Stay."

"Bert..."

"I got a hinky feeling, okay? Stay put."

The face he saw through the peephole was one he recognized, but not one he was happy about. Still, he chose to open the door.

"Lawson. I thought we were done."

"So did I. Look, I'm not here officially. There are things you and Mr. Fawkes need to know so you can protect your child. Can I come in?"

---------------------------- 


	7. Chapter 7

Corinthians 13 -- 7

---------------------

The door closed once again, Bobby moved off, leading the way to where the others waited, but was halted a moment later by an easy hand on his shoulder. He turned back to find Lawson staring at his arm.

"What happened?"

"Huh? What?" Bobby responded, taking a look for himself. He found that his prediction about the result of Darien's earlier upset had come true. "Oh. It's... Ari an' I just had a conversation... he got scared an' emotional. He held on a little too tight, that's all."

"The skin is broken in a couple places. You need to clean and cover it right away."

"It'll keep. I didn't even feel it."

"I see you have company. I'm sorry for intruding... this is just so important..."

"It's fine."

"Why don't you go back to them and I'll get the supplies from the bathroom..."

"No! I mean... please, don't."

"Agent Hobbes... is something wrong?"

"No way. That's why I'm... just come back to the kitchen an' I'll explain, okay?"

"If that's what you'd prefer..."

Once they reached the other three, Bobby waved Lawson to a chair, which he claimed slowly, his expression concerned.

"Okay... look, I never meant to hide anything from you the last time you were here. You asked Darien if he was on meds, but... you never asked me an' I thought... hell, it's best to let it go. But once you were gone, it hit me that not speakin' up could wipe out all the positive things you said about us. I wanted to call you so many times... but I was too scared a'what might happen..."

"I'm very glad you decided to tell me the truth, Agent Hobbes, but what I told you during my earlier visit still stands. I would have preferred to know the whole story, but you weren't obligated to tell me and it wouldn't have had the slightest effect on my evaluation. Do you want to show me the medications you're on?"

Bobby nodded nervously, unable to speak because fear had utterly dried out his mouth. After a quick, fierce hug from Darien, the smaller man strode off to collect his pill bottles from the bathroom.

"Hey, I'm sorry, guys, I forgot to introduce you. This is Steven Lawson. Steve, this is Claire Westerfield and Albert Eberts. They're our best friends and Bobbi's godparents."

Claire's concerned expression shifted toward fearful and she spoke up, handing Bobbi to Eberts, who stood behind her, as if she sensed that her precious Godchild needed protection.

"Evaluation? What evaluation? I don't understand."

"Steve, he's, uh... he's from Child Protective Services. Bobby's ex found out where we lived through her lawyer... she came over one night and started messin' with Bobby, askin' him to go out to dinner, raggin' on him 'cause he won't talk to her. He... we both tried to make her see that Bobby didn't want her back... that he's happy. She didn't get it. She started accusin' him of kidnappin' the baby, said no woman would ever date him, never mind... anyway, he tossed her out an' slammed the door in her face. So she sicced CPS on us."

Eberts moved forward and transferred Bobbi into her mother's arms as she was whimpering and reaching for him.

"My God, Darien. Were you ever planning to tell us about this?"

"No. Not unless it started to look bad. Steve came over, checked everything out... he said we were good, that he couldn't find a damn thing wrong."

"But Bobby didn't reveal that he's on medication." Claire said, now even more wary of the newcomer.

"Like Bert said, Steve saw some of my dark paintings an' asked me if I was taking anything. I told him I wasn't, which is the truth. Bobby... well, he felt like it would have been too big a risk to tell about him. We'll both fight for our little girl 'till they drag our dead bodies out the door, Claire, you know that..."

Claire stood and moved swiftly to Darien's side, anxious to provide comfort.

"I know, darling. So will Albert and I..." she stated with fire, glaring daggers at Lawson, who raised both hands as a sign of surrender and peacemaking.

"Hold on, everybody. I'm not a threat, I swear. The last thing I'd ever do is to take a child from a great home. Granted, it's not so good that Agent Hobbes chose to hide this... but it's not catastrophic."

"Hope to hell not..." Bobby said quietly, returning with the bottles and handing them to Steve. The other man studied the labels one at a time then gave them back, smiling.

"You're taking them exactly as prescribed? Every day, without fail?"

"I've got too much to lose. I never miss."

"And your last episode?"

"Almost... three years back."

"Then I don't see any problem. If my bosses ever happen to bring it up I'll tell them that you mentioned it the last time, but that since I knew the name of the doctor and you convinced me you were doing well on the pills... I didn't give it a second thought and I forgot to include it in the report. Okay?"

Bobby grinned from ear to ear and vigorously shook Steve's hand. Even Claire and Eberts relaxed slightly.

"Yeah. Thanks so much."

"All in a day's work. Now we have to talk about your ex-wife..."

"Of course. Hey, you had dinner yet?"

"No, actually..."

"Ari, make him up a plate of the leftovers, willya, babe?" Bobby requested, dropping into the chair nearest to Steve. "Yeah, so what's she up to now? Or do I really wanna know?"

"Probably not, but you need to if you're going to protect yourselves. Since we didn't give her any satisfaction, she's sworn to go anywhere else she can think of. Lawyers, DA's, private sector child safety organizations... I'm afraid if she persists, she'll eventually get someone to take her seriously. You could be in for a lot of trouble. In the name of protecting a child, some people feel they have to believe any accusation, at least at first. Innocence is irrelevant to them. If your baby ends up in the system, it could be months before you can get things straightened out. By that time..."

Bobby first paled until his face was chalky then flushed red. Darien knew instantly that he was about to explode, so he quickly handed Bobbi back to Eberts and rushed to kneel at his lover's side.

"Bert, stop. This won't do any good. You can't lose control right now. Staying calm is the only way you'll be able to think clear... and thinkin' clear is the only way we'll figure out how to stop the bitch for good."

Bobby resisted listening or giving up his rightfully-earned anger for a long few minutes, but eventually he released a deep slow breath and sagged into Darien's embrace. The atmosphere stayed silent and tense until Bobbi, tired of being passed around and talked about as if she weren't there, produced an angry grunt and slapped the flat of her hand firmly into Eberts' nose. He cried out, causing Claire and the others to look in his direction. A moment later the other four adults were laughing until tears ran down their faces.

"Oh, man..." Bobby gasped. "... sorry, Ebes. You know she hates bein' ignored. I'll take her..."

"No, no... I'm sure a large part of that little fit of pique was feeling like a hot potato. I'll keep her. Roberta, dear, I understand that you were unhappy, but hitting is no way to express how you're feeling. Not acceptable. Are we clear?"

Bobbi whined softly, touched his face with a gentle hand and dropped her face down, burying it in her Godfather's shoulder. "Je vous aime aussi, la bel enfant..." He intoned softly, cradling her against his chest and rocking slightly back and forth. "... et tout est pardonn?" (I love you too, beautiful child, and all is forgiven.)

Darien stared at the pair in wonder.

"What was that, Ebes?"

"Hmmm? Oh... I often speak to Roberta in French. She seems to genuinely enjoy hearing it."

"Yeah... but where'd you ever pick it up?" Bobby asked.

"Well... my mother spoke French fluently... still does. That was mostly what I heard growing up. I automatically revert whenever I go to visit, just to show her I haven't forgotten. It makes her very happy. As a matter of fact she even insists on my pronouncing our last name differently... as if I were looking at a grizzly."

"Ah... 'a-bear' instead of the way we say it." Claire murmured.

"Exactly. Oh dear... Roberta needs a diaper change. I'll be right back everyone. I'll bring the supplies to treat your arm when I return, Robert."

"Okay. Thanks, bud." Bobby acknowledged. "Steve... you didn't come here just to drop the bad news bomb, right?"

"Absolutely not. I shouldn't even be offering this, never mind doing it. We're not supposed to interfere with independent investigations of our cases, even when we know there's no basis for whoever it is to be sniffing around... but I can't stand to see this woman ruin so many lives and tear apart a perfectly healthy, happy home. I've got a very sneaky journalist friend who keeps his ear to the ground about anything involving kids in jeopardy. The minute he hears that your ex is getting any kind of real attention with the lies she's telling, he'll call me... and I'll make sure that whoever is investigating gets a copy of my report and the subsequent dismissal paperwork from my superiors. I may not be able to head Mrs. Whitson off at every pass... but I will damn sure see to it that I block every attempt I possibly can."

Darien laid a hand on Steve's shoulder.

"You're sayin' you could get in major trouble. Even lose your job, maybe."

"It's a possibility. It won't devastate me if it does happen. I've been thinking for a while now about the good I've done... and how the system has deteriorated so much that the chance of doing more good is getting less and less. I may be ready to get out. If I do, I'll just fall back on what my uncle's been begging me to do for three years."

"What's that?"

"Become an agent who exclusively represents talented, unknown artists." He said, smirking and looking directly up into Darien's eyes.

------------------------------

TBC... 


	8. Chapter 8

Corinthians 13 8/?

-----------------------

"You're not serious." Darien responded in a shocked tone.

"Of course I am. In fact, if you'd allow it... I'd really like to borrow one or two of your paintings to show my uncle."

"You're not serious."

"Darien..." Steve laughed

"Sorry. It's just... my work? You think he'd actually... that Gio Lawson would ever even consider..."

"He'll do more than consider it. I think he'll flip. He's been moaning for over a year now that he just can't find talented young traditional artists anymore. One look at what you can do and I can practically guarantee he'll be over here begging to see more. Ten minutes after that you'll have a contract in hand for a showing in his gallery."

Stunned at the prospect, Darien went back to the only words he could come up with.

"You're not serious."

Now everyone chuckled. Bobby laid a hand on his husband's arm and kissed him gently on the jaw.

"You wanna try expandin' your vocabulary there, love?"

Darien swallowed hard, briefly closed his eyes and quietly voiced the only objection he had left.

"I don't have half... no, a tenth of the material I'd need for a showing."

"He does multiple artist shows all the time, especially for people in your position, who've just started to build their body of work."

"God... I could let you have a couple pieces for a few days, long as you're sure he won't be throwing my stuff out a window on the thirty-fifth floor."

"I'm positive."

"Okay... go on in the studio and pick two. I just have one condition..."

"No. I know what you're going to ask and I can't agree to that. Your dark pieces are powerful, eloquent and honest. I feel like I need to insist that one of the two I take be from that group."

"You know where they came from. Bobby told you..."

"I didn't say I was going to tell the story behind those paintings to the whole world, but that kind of depth is something my uncle really loves. He needs to see that aspect of your work, Darien. I understand that you don't know me very well, yet... I just have to hope you can trust me on this. He won't reject you and your privacy won't be violated."

Darien hesitated for several minutes, but he finally nodded. "Thank you." Steve replied with a relieved smile as he rose to his feet. Once he'd disappeared into the rear of the apartment, the others gathered around Darien, congratulating and praising him.

"Baby... you can't know how proud I am. This is so great. Now everybody's gonna know how special my hubby is." Bobby told him. Gazing into his lover's eyes, Darien realized the truth of his words and produced a tentative smile at last.

"One of the greatest artists in California history... is actually gonna look at my paintings... I can't believe this..."

"Believe it, darling." Claire encouraged. "We all knew it would happen eventually. Your art is just too good to stay a secret forever. Someone was bound to see it and start the word spreading. You're just very lucky that someone also has the connections to get you going."

"Yes... and to help keep this precious little one from being a victim of whatever schemes Robert's obviously unbalanced ex-wife might come up with." Eberts added, offering Bobbi to her mother. Darien accepted her with a small sigh and hugged her tightly, grateful for anything to take his mind off the chaotic emotional storm he seemed to be stuck in the midst of. Bobbi echoed the sound and leaned into him. A moment later the waves and curves of soft color appeared in his head, a question mark planted clearly in the center of the design.

"I'll be okay, sweetheart. I've just got a lot to process right now. Calm and peaceful will happen... it just might take a while."

A few moments later, Steve emerged into the main area of the apartment again, carrying a painting in each hand, though held backwards to avoid any argument from Darien over which ones he'd chosen.

"Okay, I'm gonna take these to Gio's for safe-keeping, then head home. I swear, the second I hear anything from my friend, you'll know every detail of what's going on, alright?"

"Anything you can do will be deeply appreciated, Mr. Lawson. Roberta means the world to all of us." Eberts responded, offering a smile.

"I understand. I promise, together we'll make it all work out. Have a good night everyone."

Eberts opened the door for the other man, thanked him quietly, then closed the rest of them into the apartment once again. He'd barely opened his mouth to speak when Claire's cell phone chimed and he held back, waiting to see what was happening.

"Hello? Yes... yes, of course. I'll be there as soon as... no. No, you can't be asking... I haven't done any trials on it... that is not acceptable reasoning... No. You're not to do anything until I arrive. Fine. An hour at the very most. I realize he may not... Alright. Yes, I'm on my way."

"Claire?" Bobby asked cautiously as she ended the call.

"I have to go back to the Agency. Stark's taken a bad turn and... well, they need my help."

"What was that about trials?"

"I can't tell you, Darien. I wish I could." She demurred, rising and grabbing her coat. Eberts was already into his and moving to stand beside her. "Albert..."

"I'm going with you." he told her, a determination in his eyes she'd never seen before.

"But you won't be able to be there. This is..."

"I know." He whispered close to her ear. "Or at least, I suspect. I have for a few weeks. I'm the head of procurement, remember? Every package, every shipment of supplies that enters that building, I ordered."

Claire, suddenly terrified that she might lose the man she loved before their relationship could even make a real start, turned shocked eyes on Eberts.

"If he finds out you know..."

"He won't. And if he does I still have my leverage. I'm safe... we're safe."

After a long tense moment, Claire nodded uncertainly. The pair said quick goodbyes to Darien, Bobby and Roberta and hurried out the door.

"What the hell was that all about?" Bobby asked when they were alone.

"No clue... but I don't have to understand to be scared of it."

------------------------

THE AGENCY:

"You have to stay out here. Please..." Claire tried one more time, both hands braced on Eberts' chest.

"I told you that I have a suspicion what's happening, dearest. Even if I didn't, I'd never let you be alone in that... creature's presence."

"For heaven's sake, he isn't conscious, Albert! He can't hurt me."

"I don't care. After all he's done... seeing what the loss of those precious children did to Alex and Darien... I'm afraid for you. I can't help it. Nothing and no one will keep me from your side tonight."

Claire grinned, though she was as worried and fearful as Albert, and hugged him fiercely.

"So classically romantic... like one of my favorite old movies. I love you for who you are, Albert... that and so much more."

"The flattery is lovely... but I'm not backing down."

"He can't ever know. Please, tell me you'll be careful... more than you've ever been before. I simply don't trust that your 'Sword of Damacles' file will be enough to protect you..."

"It will, it will. But I'll be more cautious as well, I promise you that."

"Thank you." Claire breathed, finally pulling back and straightening her clothes and hair. "Alright. In we go. I trust I won't have to urge you to scamper if I need to do anything medically disgusting?"

Eberts swallowed hard and produced a faint, slightly sickly smile.

"Only if it gets excessive. I said I'd stand by you and I will... no matter what."

Grasping his hand tightly, Claire took a deep breath and glanced at him briefly.

"No false bravado, darling. Not for me. If you have to leave..."

"Understood. Now let's get moving, alright? It sounded as if Stark may not have much time."

Claire nodded grimly and punched in the code that would allow them access to the medical bay. As she stepped in, she swiftly took note of everything that was happening and forced herself to release Albert's hand in order to rush to Jared Stark's bedside. Eberts silently slipped behind her into the dimly lit room and moved backwards into a corner, effectively keeping himself out of the way, but ready at a moments notice to step up if she appeared to need him.

"Defribrilator... his heart stopped, then." She asked the technician closest to her.

"Yes, but we were able to bring him back fairly quickly. He won't stay that way for long, though, I'm afraid. The infection has spread, his systems are destabilizing one after another..."

"No choice. I have no choice..."

"None of us do, Doctor." The man behind her stated resolutely. "Tested or not, he'll die if we don't act, and all the vital information he carries will go with him."

Claire whipped around to confront Charlie Borden, her expression a disturbing mixture of fury, sorrow and indecision.

"Even if I do agree to this madness, it might not work."

"I understand that, but as you said... there is no other option."

"No. It doesn't seem there is. Fine. I'll need my computer linked to the ones in here and I want everyone out except the ones I choose."

"Of course. I'll have the item brought here immediately..."

"No. No, I created the new gland, I'll get it. I don't trust anyone else. Just get started on the computer work, alright?" she ordered, already on her way back out the door. "If anyone trips and drops the thrice-damned thing to the floor, I want it to be me..."

----------------------------------

TBC... 


	9. Chapter 9

Corinthians 13 9/?

---------------------

SIX HOURS LATER:

Shuffling into the Keep, her hair lank with sweat and damp scrubs clinging to her skin in various places, Claire sighed and ran both hands over her face, struggling to fight off the bone deep fatigue that threatened to overwhelm her. When she pulled her fingers down, the sight that greeted her lightened her heart and gave her the strength she sought.

Not long after Claire had returned to the medical bay with her creation, Eberts, though perfectly willing to stand by her no matter what it might cost him, had allowed Claire to convince him that she would be safe and he didn't have to force himself to witness surgery just for her sake. Now he was curled up in the administering chair, sleeping restlessly, seemingly having a mild nightmare. Believing she knew what was causing his anxiety, Claire tiptoed up beside him, laid a gentle kiss on his brow and spoke to him softly.

"Darling... wake up. It's over, I'm here..."

Fully awake in mere seconds, Eberts sat up and swiftly wrapped his beloved in a fierce hug.

"Thank God. I dreamed...well, you don't need to know the details, I suppose. Suffice to say it wasn't pleasant in the least..."

"I could see that."

"What time is it?"

"Nearly four a.m."

"You must be exhausted! I knew I should have stayed to support you..."

"No, no. Look, don't worry anymore, alright? It's done and I'm out of it from here on. If he survives, someone else will be responsible for his care. I made sure of it..."

Gradually, Eberts pulled back, gazing at Claire with a concerned expression. Smiling warily, she questioned the look. "What is it?"

"I told you that I've seen the supply lists, the shipping manifests... this gland isn't like the first one, is it?"

"No." she stated simply, reluctant to go further and make him a party to the things she'd done and the secrets she'd been keeping.

"Claire, love... please. If I'm going to help protect you and the boys and Roberta..."

"I don't expect you to and neither do they, anymore."

"That won't stop me from trying to do it."

"Unfortunately..." she murmured, reaching out to stroke his face briefly and offering a wan half-smile. "I don't know if I can do this... I'm so afraid you'll hate me."

"Never. I could never hate you, Claire. No judgment, no recriminations. Please, just tell me."

Heaving a sigh, realizing he wouldn't stop until he heard everything, Claire dropped to sit on the edge of the chair, closed her eyes and gave in.

"This new gland... it was supposed to go to Darien too, but when Stark showed up, needing it so urgently... and now that the Quicksilver gland is repaired..."

"Oh... oh my Lord. Healing?"

Claire nodded solemnly.

"Borden practically threatened my existence if I didn't give it to Stark. I felt..."

"... no options. I understand. How long?"

"Six months... and I loathed every minute. I wanted to tell all of you the moment I started work, but the Official wouldn't let me. 'Keep it a surprise' he said. 'It may never pan out and you don't want to get Fawkes' hopes up'. I can't believe I actually *listened*!"

"You don't know that it has. Panned out, I mean."

"It will." Claire countered grimly. "Every test, every simulation I ran was perfect. The gland will do exactly what I designed it to. The only problem is that he's not supposed to have it, damn him!"

Eberts gathered her into his arms and rocked her slowly.

"Trade-offs, darling... trade-offs. Chrysalis influenced fifty children to destroy themselves. If we can stop that from ever happening again... we just have to accept things the way they are. For a short while, at least."

Claire pulled back slowly, gazing at Eberts in wonder and admiration.

"I could do that. Once we have everything he can give us... I certainly could."

"No one but Charles will try to stop you, and I'm sure Darien and Bobby can easily keep him in the dark long enough for you to succeed."

"No doubt. But the immorality... I'm a doctor, how can I even think..."

"Normally, I'd agree with you one hundred percent, but once in a very great while... principles and ethics have to be pushed down the list in favor of other concerns. Stark was the driving force behind all the evil Chrysalis has perpetrated so far. He's a heartless, soulless, poor excuse for a human being and he's not going to change. Think what will happen if we don't take action... and he finds out about Roberta. He'll take that information and his new gland straight back to them."

"And they'll welcome him with open arms. Oh, dear God..."

"Indeed. It has to be done, Claire. It must be."

"Yes... that doesn't mean I'll deal with it easily."

"Of course not. Neither will I."

"You know, because of this emergency, I'm taking tomorrow... correction, today off. I thought..."

"No need to even ask, love. Absolutely I'll stay with you. I won't leave your side and we'll talk about everything except what's happened here in the last few days."

Claire sighed once more and buried her head in his shoulder.

"Thank you."

---------------------

4:30 A.M. : THE HOUSE

"Ari? Hell, not again..."

Bobby sat up in bed, sighed heavily and prepared himself for another rescue mission and furniture moving session in the living room. Before he could get to his feet, however, his vision adjusted to the dimness of their bedroom and he realized Darien was in the rocking chair by the window, holding Bobbi closely and cooing soft words to her. "What happened?"

"Not sure. The heating system made a loud noise, I think. Scared her awake an' she went see-through. Instead of just relaxing, she tried to make the QS let go, like she's seen me do... couldn't figure out how. The madder an' more frustrated she got, the less it worked. Once I picked her up, got her calmed down, it happened naturally, but..."

"Yeah." Bobby commiserated, moving to stand beside his husband. "She's better now... just about back to sleep."

"Can you get her back in her crib?"

" 'Course. Stay there, yeah? I'll be right back..."

It took only a few minutes for Bobby to return, a gentle smile on his face. Drawing Darien up and into his arms, he soothed him with caresses and silence then tugged him back to bed.

"This is so messed up, Bert... so damn messed up..."

"She's only little. Let her get a couple more years under her belt. Then you an' me... we'll start teachin' her everything she needs to know about the gift you gave her."

"Gift? How can you call it that? I've cursed that poor kid..."

"She don't see it that way."

"She will now."

"No. What she'll do is forget what happened by the time she wakes up again. Babies get scared, okay, but five minutes later they're laughin'. This won't stick in her head, Ari. I'm sure of it."

"What about Alex? Huh? And did you know the kid's aware that I sleepwalk? Our daughter gets more stuff than we can even guess at, Bobby."

"I know. Hey, it freaks me out too, but we can't just give in an' accept bein' edgy an' panicky all the time. That's no way for us to live... or Bobbi either."

"I can't help it..."

"You can, baby. Right now our little girl is happy, healthy, smart an' strong. If we ruin that 'cause we dump our worries an' fears out all over her... that really *will* be a curse. We're raisin' her the absolute best we know how. That'll be way more than enough. You gotta trust yourself... trust me."

Darien chuckled brokenly and swiped at a tear that had begun to trace down his cheek.

"More like she's raisin' us."

"Could be. I'm gonna call in and get us the day off, okay? I'll tell him the kid had a rough night, we didn't get much sleep..."

"Fabulous idea. I love you more than you'll ever know, Bobby Hobbes."

"Ditto, Ari. Ditto to infinity and beyond."

-------------------------

TBC........ 


	10. Chapter 10

Corinthians 13: 10/?

--------------------------

9:15

Bobby and Darien slowly climbed back to wakefulness together, a rare occurrence but one they reveled in when it happened. When Darien lightly squeezed the hand that, out of habit and joyful memory, still frequently found its way onto his abdomen at night, Bobby chuckled softly.

"Mornin', sweetheart."

"Morning." The younger man echoed, twisting his head backward briefly and receiving a gentle kiss. Deciding that wasn't nearly enough, he turned over and initiated a deeper, more sustained version. At last, they pulled apart, both breathing heavily. The spark in Darien's eyes told Bobby he was longing for something more involved, but Hobbes hesitated.

"What? Don't you want to?"

" 'Course I do. It's just... you said last night the kid knows you sleepwalk an' all that. Does she... I mean..."

"Will we ever have to tell her about the birds an' bees? Yeah, absolutely. She feels with me... senses the ups an' downs, but she's too young to understand. All she'll know is that her mom and dad got really, *really* happy for a few seconds. She won't pick up on how or why."

"You sure?"

"Totally sure. Go on..."

Bobby's hand started moving in the right direction, but he paused a second time and grinned ruefully.

"Sorry, babe. I'm still not used to this, I guess."

"Used to what? To me?"

"Nah. It's havin' somebody who wants me to touch, kiss... be the one who reaches out. Viv... she was never much into the physical part a'marriage. I think it scared her. Always wondered if she got hurt or messed with as a kid, somethin' like that. I knew she'd never tell me, even if it was true, so..."

"... you didn't ask."

"No reason to bother."

"You've never asked me either." Darien observed quietly, stroking slowly, repeatedly over Bobby's scalp.

"You? Way I understood it you had it pretty good growin' up, Ari. I never saw even a hint a'that in your records..."

"I'm not talking about my childhood. I mean in prison. You must've wondered..."

Hobbes blanched, reached up and captured his husband's hand to still it.

"I never saw that file. Borden said I didn't need to... that it didn't matter anymore. A couple years ago I thought about takin' a peek anyway, but by then I was so hung up on you... it woulda killed me if I found out somebody... did that."

Darien grimaced faintly.

"Do you wanna know?"

"Not the details. If there's somethin' that might trigger a nasty memory, you should tell me, though, so I don't just stumble on it."

"Not seeing. I have to be able to see... to know it's you. And it might take a long, long time before I can... go down on you. Other than that, we should be okay."

"You're sayin' somebody... that they did..."

"Blitzed me from behind. I had no chance to fight back. The guards... they think it's just something new prisoners have to go through. After that first time, if they saw, they did what they could to protect me. Kev came an' got me released before it happened too many more times..."

"How many?" Bobby forced out,

"Three. I'm, uh... really glad you didn't want details, 'cause I've pretty much... blocked those out. The before is there in my head, and the after... but not much in between."

"Thank God for that..." Bobby croaked, gathering Darien fully into his arms. "Thank God..."

"I didn't mean to make you feel so bad. It just... you talked about Viv... and it seemed a good time to bring it up, you know..."

Bobbi whimpered and began to shift restlessly, wringing a melancholy chuckle from Darien. "Like I said... the ups and downs."

Bobby pulled back a little, smiled weakly and caressed his husband's face.

"You, uh... you do know you can always say you don't wanna, right? Now that you told me... I'll understand."

"I haven't said it yet, have I? Yeah, maybe I get sad or angry about the past, but I'm not stuck in it... not most of the time anyway. I'm a free man who gets to make his own choices, now. I chose to lean on you and follow your lead when I first got the job an' I had no clue what my future was gonna look like... or if I'd even have one. I chose to have your child, when walking away would've been so much easier and caused a lot less pain. I chose to keep loving you, even when I knew you might not come back from that little mountain vacation you took. I chose to trust you and go see your doc when I was so hurt an' lost I couldn't see a way out. I've picked you every step of the way, Bert... and I always will."

"Ari... my God..."

"It's okay." Darien soothed, swiping Bobby's tears away. "The way we compliment each other makes us a great team. You're super-agent, I still have to feel my way. You can't find the words, I can't shut up."

"Yeah, well... could you try a little harder? Makes it hard for me to concentrate." Bobby retorted with a sly grin as he eased his hand into Darien's boxers.

"Mmmm. Yeah... I can do silence... definitely... ohhhh... jeez..."

"Those noises I don't mind."

"Good thing, too. B-Bert... damn, yes... faster... please, faster..."

"I hear and obey."

"Crap... I'm gonna... Bert, I have to..."

"Do it. It's all good, sweetheart. Let go, Ari..."

"You..."

"After. C'mon, babe... that's it. God... you're so beautiful like this..."

"Bert... man..." Darien panted, struggling to catch his breath

"Love you too, Ari." Hobbes laughed.

"What... what say we go shower... and I'll return the favor?"

"Sounds perfect. Then we'll get dressed, have breakfast... and take Bobbi to the zoo."

Darien's eyes lit up.

"Yeah! We promised her, didn't we?"

"Seems like a hundred years ago."

"Sure you don't wanna wait? Maybe see if we can do her birthday there?"

"Nah. I... I got other ideas for that."

"Like what?"

"Never you mind." Bobby teased, rising and drawing his husband up to his feet as well. "That's gonna be as much a surprise for you as it is for her."

"You forget she can read your mind, now, too?"

"Damn..."

--------------------

A TREATMENT ROOM AT THE AGENCY: 1 HOUR LATER

Curled protectively around Claire, Eberts blinked his eyes slowly as he reluctantly woke up. Gazing adoringly down at her, he found a reserve of boldness somewhere inside him and leaned in to place a brief, gentle, barely-there kiss on her warm lips. Moments later she was awake as well and smiling up at him with a soft, sweet expression that made his pulse suddenly begin to race. Unable to resist, he swept loose hair away from her brow and placed another light kiss there.

"Good morning, love. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes... for the most part. It helped that you were here to hold me. I felt safer than I have in years..." she confessed, snuggling her head into his shoulder.

"Trust me... it was my pleasure."

"Mmmm... speaking of.... Lord, you're so warm..." she murmured, shifting even closer and pressing against him.

"Claire... er, you don't... I mean... oh, heavens..."

Reaching up with both hands, she tipped his chin down, forcing him to meet her eyes and acknowledge the hunger in them.

"I do, Albert. I do know precisely what it is I want. Will you let me have it? Hmmm?"

"Claire... darling..."

"I know you've little or no experience, but you'll *never* have any if you always let your fear convince you to back away. Please..."

"It's not fear... not the way you believe. I simply... I couldn't stand to disappoint you. If... if I'm not all you expect... physically... Not that I would ever think you that shallow, but..."

"Oh, Albert. Is that what it's been all this time?"

"Partly. Mostly."

"You have faith in my intelligence?"

"Of course! You're one of the most incredible scientific minds I've ever encountered..."

"Then trust me to judge for myself... and trust that I would never reject you or say anything unkind."

"I know... I know that..."

"Then let me in. Let me show you what a beautiful and precious moment this can be... when the person you're with truly loves you."

"You do... don't you?"

"I can hardly bear it."

Eventually, Claire was rewarded with a minute release of tension and a quiet sigh.

"Yes... alright."

Claire slowly extended her hand and touched Albert's zipper, eliciting a sharp gasp.

"Darling, I haven't done anything yet." She chuckled.

"It's... it's all so new. Everything is a surprise."

"Yes, well... you're in for quite a few of those."

It took several minutes of soothing words and reassurances, but finally Claire was able to dip her hand into Albert's briefs. At that point, however, she paused, now a bit in shock herself.

"Claire? What is it? Oh... oh dear God..."

"No! No, love, there's nothing wrong. You're more than adequate... much more, in fact. I was simply letting that... sink in."

Eberts' doubt overwhelmed everything else until Claire smiled at him and began to cautiously free him from his clothes.

"You mean it? Ahhh! It seems you do! Claire..."

"Relax, Albert. This will be amazing if you can only relax. Close your eyes... and just feel. Let go of your worries and your insecurities... let it all go."

"Oh... oh... Claire, I'm... something's... I'm dripping!"

"You're doing fine. That's just your pre-ejaculate." She whispered in his ear. "It helps to ease the way when someone is stroking you... or when you first push into your lover. It's usually not enough, of course. That's why women make a good deal of our own lubricant."

"Ahhh... R-really? Do... are you..."

"Mmmm-hmmm. I am. Right now. When we do finally have our first time... you'll see. Even as grand as you are, you'll slide straight in... with hardly any effort at all. And I'll welcome you, Albert. I'll open myself, open my body... and you'll never want to leave."

Claire's intense speech pushed Eberts over the edge. He howled, but it was quickly muted by Claire's free hand. Within a few minutes, his breathing had almost returned to normal, but she wondered if his eyes ever would. When he laid a trembling hand on her abdomen, she questioned him with just her eyes. He nodded hesitantly. Gripping his hand lightly, she tugged it down and laid it against her now soaked panties. He pulled back a moment later, staring at the moisture glistening on his fingertips.

"Claire..."

"Not now. You need time to think about all this. We'll talk over lunch. I'm going to go clean up." she stated firmly, kissing him and favoring him with a content, delighted smile before rising and heading for the en-suite bathroom. Eberts gradually made it onto his feet and, realizing what a disaster the bed now was, wobbled off to search the room for the fresh linens he knew had to be there somewhere.

-----------------------------

TBC....... 


End file.
